dissertation writing tips
How To Cite A Master's Thesis: Helpful Guidelines
When writing a master's thesis, one of the most important things to do is cite sources. If the sources are not cited correctly, it is technically considered plagiarism by professors. To avoid plagiarism charges, students must make sure that they cite any quote, statistic or piece of data that they use.
Figuring Out the StyleUnfortunately for students, there are a number of different ways to cite sources. In general, students will be using Chicago, MLA or APA style. In addition to these different style types, different academic programs may have unique citation requirements. Before citing any sources, students should make sure that they know the exact style and citation types that are required.
Get BasicWith MLA style, the writer has a certain type of citation that is normally used. For a book, the writer must list the last name of the author, the first name of the author and the title of the book. Afterward, they must list the city it was published in, the publisher, the year it was published and how it was published. The following two examples show the correct way to cite a book.
Smith, John. The Making of a New Era. New York: Random House, 1999. Print.
Doe, Jane. All About Psychology. London: Penguin, 2010. Print.
If the book was written by more than one author, the citation style will generally be the same. Basically, the writer would write it as the last name of the first author, the first name of the first author and the the first name of the second author with the last name of the second author. It would look like this: Doe, Jane and John Smith. When the author of the book is not listed, the student should just list the source by the title of the book. All sources should be listed alphabetically by the author's last name.
Creating the BibliographyAny source that is cited in the text should always be included in the bibliography. In addition, the writer will want to include any sources that they used while creating the dissertation that were not already cited. When the professor checks the quality of the student's research, they will ultimately read through the bibliography and look at individual sources. The professor may also end up using the bibliography for information if they have a question about a particular quote or statistic. To get the best grade on the dissertation and graduate, students must make sure that they have sourced everything correctly.